A Miraculous Sacrifice
by QueenReagan
Summary: Hawk Moth managed to steal Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses and Tikki and Plagg aren't doing so great. It's going to take the ultimate sacrifice to bring back the kwamis.
1. Chapter 1

**This might be a little over the top 'magic' wise, but it looked cool in my head so I decided to write it out. This'll be a two shot, and I'm hoping to put the last chapter up later tonight! Thanks for reading :)**

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It's amazing how numb you can truly feel when the world around you is crumbling.

Or how helpless you actually are to saving things before they disappear forever.

Tears slipped down Marinette's cheeks and mixed with the puddles of rain around her. All around her, people talked and gathered close to see what was happening. Police stood as a defensive wall between the people of Paris and Marinette. Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder rolled. Marinette was deaf to it all.

"Ma'am, are you hurt?" a woman asked behind her. She knelt next to the young girl and gently grabbed her shoulder. Marinette shoved the woman away fiercely.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled. Blood trickled down Marinette's forehead, but Marinette was numb to that, too. The paramedic stared at the girl in a mixture of shock and pity. Then, she looked at the two small figures the girl was crying over. Many of the citizens whispered to each other, quietly spreading their theories of how the girl was actually insane. Who would cry over stuffed animals?

Marinette turned back to her friends. "Sir, you can't pass," a police officer said behind her.

An angry, hoarse voice snapped, "Try and stop me," before Marinette was joined by another body. She didn't push him away, though. His touch was safe and familiar. He wrapped his arms around the small girl and let her cry into his chest.

"Everybody knows, Adrien. They all know our secret. How could we let this happen?" she sobbed. "They've helped us so much and this is how we repay them?" Adrien held her tight and rested his chin on top of her head. His eyes fell to the small kwamis laying motionless in the rain water. He was just as numb as Marinette.

"Plagg," he whispered, his voice getting caught in the wind.

Marinette pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. "There has to be some way we can save them, right? Maybe… Maybe if we just feed them, they'll get their energy back and-"

"Marinette," Adrien said softly. He wanted to believe her as much as she wanted to believe herself. But they both knew it was impossible. Hawk Moth drained every last bit of power both kwamis had. They were beaten.

A short, old man pushed himself through the crowd. A small, green creature sat on his shoulder with a sad look on its face. The man ducked beneath two officers trying to hold him back and he stood across from the previous miraculous holders.

"M-Master Fu," Marinette said, looking up. Adrien blinked through the rain and met the old man's gaze.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry we've failed you."

Master Fu sighed deeply. He had no words, no comfort, no wisdom to give the kids. He was disappointed and, perhaps, a bit angry, too. Wayzz floated between his two old friends, staring down at them in silence. Wayzz would be lying if he didn't feel a bit of anger toward the former miraculous heroes as well.

Laying between Plagg and Tikki were pieces of their miraculous items. Adrien's ring was snapped in half and one of Marinette's earrings were crushed in multiple pieces. Hawk Moth managed to get the upper hand when the two were trapped beneath rings of metal beneath the Eiffel Tower. Marinette mentally kicked herself. How could she have let her guard down that much? How could she have let herself be captured by such an amateur trap?

"Nino, slow down! The streets are slippery!" Alya yelled as she struggled to keep up with her friend, while her camera remained rolling in her hand. The two had watched Chat Noir and Ladybug disappear somewhere around the area, and figured the giant crowd of people was a good sign. Alya leaped over a giant puddle and raced through the crowd to catch up to Nino. He stopped once he reached the front and Alya slammed into his back.

"Okay, Ladybloggers," Alya whispered, stepping around Nino. "Ladybug and Chat Noir's real identities are…" She finally had clear view of the center of the crowd and froze. Master Fu looked up at the camera and glared. Alya couldn't bring herself to put it away, though.

"M-Marinette?" she asked, her eyes wide. Marinette and Adrien whipped their heads around to see their best friends gawking at them.

"Put that away, Alya," Adrien ordered, a cold glare on his face. Nino's was taken back by Adrien's harsh tone. He'd never heard the blond use that on anybody. This made Alya scramble to close her camera and stuff it in her bag.

"I-I don't understand," Nino stuttered. "You two are… You're…"

"We'll talk later," Adrien promised, looking from Nino to Alya. They both nodded, sensing something was very wrong. A faint glow out of the corner of his eye brought Adrien's attention back to the kwamis.

Marinette gasped. "Adrien, look!" She pointed at the broken miraculouses. Adrien's ring had a faint black tint to it and Marinette's earrings sparkled with a pinch of red.

"Their power," Master Fu said in awe. "There's still a bit left! Not much, though."

"But enough to bring them back, right?" Marinette asked, her eyes brightening with hope. Master Fu shook his head slowly.

"I'm afraid not. There isn't enough power to reenergize their hearts."

"But… But what if _we_ gave them that power?"

"What?" Master Fu asked, his eyes widening.

"Master Fu, I know we have disappointed you, but I am _still_ Ladybug and he is _still_ Chat Noir and this isn't over until we've tried every last thing."

"Marinette, c'mon," Adrien said softly.

"The chances of you two managing to bring back Plagg and Tikki and walking away from it are one in a million," Wayzz said, floating between the faces of the kids. He glared at each of them. "Don't you dare give him false hope."

"But we could do it, couldn't we? We could bring them back?" Marinette stared at Master Fu intently, silently willing him to answer. Master Fu sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You could, yes. It's a very risky attempt, but it is possible."

"Marinette, hold on," Adrien interrupted, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I know you care about Tikki just like I care about Plagg, but this… This is a little crazy, don't you think? It might not even work and we could die from it!"

" _Adrien_!" she exclaimed, grabbing both of his arms. "Adrien, _we_ were chosen for this. Us, out of all of Paris. If we don't at least try this, there will be no hope for protecting our city. We are the _only ones_ who can do it. I don't want this to be how things end. I don't want Master Fu to hate us and I don't want Plagg and Tikki to die. This _can't_ be how our story ends." She scooped the pieces of miraculous into her hands and held them out to Adrien. "Are you with me?"

Adrien looked from the pieces to Marinette, then to Plagg and Tikki. Wordlessly, he grabbed the two pieces of his ring and sat across from Marinette. He smiled at her.

"I'm with you."

Master Fu, along with help from Nino, Alya, and the police, managed to widened the crowd of people and give Marinette and Adrien more room. Marinette and Adrien held their miraculouses in their left hands then held their joined hands over Plagg and Tikki. Plagg laid under the broken ring and Tikki laid under the earrings. Marinette looked at Adrien and the two smiled before their eyes fell closed.

Alya and Nino turned to watch their best friends. Alya watched for any cell phones rising above the crowd, too. The girl who once tried so hard to expose the secret identities of Chat Noir and Ladybug was now trying so hard to protect them. This was obviously a serious matter and the entire world didn't need to know about it.

Two bright lights suddenly began to rise from Adrien and Marinette's hands. Black and red beams intertwined and poured out of the spaces between their palms and circled the two. Adrien's bangs blew across his forehead with a much stronger force than the light wind from the dying storm. More streams of black and red swirled around the two until they were the center of a small, impenetrable circle of light and power. The light continued to climb higher and higher, past the Eiffel Tower and into the cloudy night above. Marinette could feel her energy draining. She squeezed Adrien's hands and he squeezed back. Adrien twisted his face in determination and focused all of his energy into the miraculouses.

All of Paris watched as the column of light disappeared in the clouds and lit up the entire city. Both kwamis were engulfed in a white glow that lifted them off the ground. The small creatures could feel their power and energy coming back to them. Meanwhile, the heroes' bodies couldn't take much more.

"Adrien," Marinette cried, her eyes squeezing shut in pain. The red light was growing fainter and fainter. Marienette was getting weaker with each passing second. Tikki's eyes fluttered open and they blinked for a moment. Plagg groaned and rolled his head to the side.

"Tikki?" he mumbled. "What's happening?"

Master Fu's heart skipped a beat when he saw the kwamis move. They're okay! They're alive! "Marienette, Adrien, you did it! You can stop now!"

Neither kid heard him. The red was almost completely gone now. Tikki looked at the girl in alarm.

"Marinette! What's happening? What are you doing?"

"Adrien! Can you hear me?" Plagg yelled.

"Stop, stop it!" Master Fu shouted. "Stop before you hurt yourselves!" The black was beginning to disappear from the mix, too. The old man forced himself through the barrier and grabbed the kids' hands. Plagg and Tikki watched in fear, unable to make out what was happening. Both colors were dimming now and disappearing quicker than before. Alya and Nino helped Master Fu in pulling Marienette and Adrien's hands apart.

Wayzz pulled his friends out of the circle and back into the rainy Parisian night. Tikki looked at him fearfully. "Wayzz, what's happening to them?"

"It's a long story, Tikki." Suddenly, the light disappeared all together. The people gasped and stumbled back as their eyes readjusted to darkness once again. Adrien and Marinette fell into the arms of their friends, who were too shocked and worried to speak.

"Adrien!"

"Marinette!"


	2. Chapter 2

"This is crazy," Alya whispered as she stared at her best friend's motionless body. Her eyes rose and met Nino's, who sat across from her next to Adrien. The old man stood between the beds, waving around his hands and muttering things under his breath.

"Yo, Mr. Fu dude, they're gonna be okay, right?" Nino asked, staring at the old man desperately.

"I'm not entirely sure," Master Fu snapped. Nino shrank away and bowed his head. Tikki, Plagg, and Wayzz watched from the doorway. Tikki flinched at Master Fu's tone.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked Wayzz. The green kwami sighed.

"The battle against Hawk Moth wasn't exactly an easy one. Master Fu is angry that Marinette and Adrien let their guards down and you two had to pay for it."

"But what about when they brought us back to life?" Plagg argued. "They sacrificed themselves for us!"

"Maybe Master Fu doesn't see it like that." Plagg shot him a glare while Tikki watched the ritual with worry. She had already blocked out the boys when Plagg began to argue. Her only focus now was Marinette. Even Plagg had to admit he felt a bit of worry for Adrien.

Master Fu took a deep breath and stepped away from the beds. "I've done all that I can. The rest is up to them." He clasped his hands behind his back and watched each kid carefully. The kwamis flew across the room and hovered over both beds. Nino and Alya hesitantly stood next to their best friends. The room was silent and filled with tension. Alya could feel tears well up in her eyes. Nino took a few deep breaths to keep himself calm. Even the kwamis were beginning to get anxious. They should've woken up by now. Why haven't they?

"C'mon bro," Nino pleaded softly, grabbing Adrien's shoulder.

"Marinette," Alya choked out, taking her best friend's hand. "Mari, you have to wake up. You were my first friend at Françoise Dupont. Without you, who's going to be around to help me ward off Chloe?"

Nino smirked. "Think of all the pretty ladies you're gonna be disappointing back home." That made Alya giggle and wipe away her tears.

"You two are good friends," Master Fu observed. "You were friends before you found out they were Chat Noir and Ladybug, correct?"

Alya nodded. "We all became friends on the first day of school." Master Fu hummed, but didn't say anything more.

Suddenly, there was a jerk in Adrien's body and the boy sat up gasping for air. Everybody in the room jumped in surprise. A moment later, Marinette slowly rose into a sitting position while holding her head in her hands.

"What happened?" Adrien asked, looking around at his friends and Master Fu. More tears slid down Alya's cheeks, but she didn't care. She threw her arms around Marinette and pulled her best friend close.

"Marinette!" she cried. "You're okay!"

Nino couldn't stop himself from grinning from ear to ear. He caught Adrien's tired hand and pulled the boy into a tight bro hug. When he pulled away, Nino wiped pretend sweat from his forehead and laughed, "You really had us worried there, bro!" He looked over to Marinette, who was laughing as Alya hugged her to death. "You both did."

Marinette looked to Adrien and he looked back. They reached across the space between them, joined hands, and smiled.

"Mari!" Tikki cried, nuzzling her small head against Marinette's chin. Adrien's eyes lit up when he saw his kwami grinning up at him.

"Tikki, Plagg!" Marinette cheered, grinning so big her cheeks began to hurt.

"I'm so glad you two are alright," Adrien breathed in relief.

Plagg smirked. "Can't get rid of us that easily!"

"Although it is heartwarming to see you kids reuniting with everyone, we do still have a very serious matter to discuss," Master Fu stated, his voice tight with seriousness and, maybe, a hint of anger.

Adrien and Marinette turned to face the old man, along with their friends and kwamis. Master Fu reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out three small accessories for everyone to see.

Marinette's eyes widened. "They're fixed." Laying in his hand was not pieces of broken miraculouses, but a complete set of black earrings with a full ring sitting next to them. It was like they were never destroyed in the first place.

"It's quite extraordinary, actually. I've watched over miraculouses and their kwamis for some time now, yet I've never seen a miraculous actually break, nor have I seen it be fixed. I never dreamed a couple of children would be capable of fusing the power of the miraculouses back together again." Master Fu forced a small smile. "You two are special, that's for sure."

Adrien and Marinette exchanged proud smiles. "However!" Master Fu snapped, drawing their attention back to them. "The behavior you both showed in that final battle was simply unacceptable. You put the lives of yourselves, your kwamis, and all of Paris in danger."

"But we couldn't do anything-" Marinette tried to defend.

"You can _always_ do something," Master Fu scolded, shooting her a disapproving look.

"I'm sorry, sir, but that's not true," Adrien stated. Master Fu looked at him in surprise. "We were trapped beneath metal bars and couldn't move, sure, but Hawk Moth planned for my power specifically. I had a metal glove over my right hand and using my Cataclysm would've been completely useless to everyone. We were helpless."

Master Fu tsked. "Then maybe I should give these miraculouses to a team who aren't so easily helpless."

"What?" Tikki gasped. Plagg flew to Master Fu.

"Master Fu, please think about this," the black kwami begged.

"I _have_ thought about this. I've been thinking about it ever since we brought these two back here. Maybe it was my mistake in the first place, trusting such a huge responsibility to a couple of kids."

"No!" Marinette cried. She slammed a fist into the bed and shook her head. "No, you didn't make a mistake! Adrien and I _can_ handle this job. We've been handling it for a year now! We might've gotten stuck a few times, but we always, _always_ found a way. I know we messed up big this time, but we literally gave everything we had to try and fix it."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed. "We don't want anybody hurt. We always take our job seriously, even if it might seem like we don't sometimes…" He thought about all of the jokes and puns he's made on the job. "This has never been a game for us, Master Fu. It's never been just for fun. We understand the lives that are at stake and that we're protecting all of Paris. We understand it all. Please, please rethink your decision. Give us another chance."

Wayzz stared at the kids in surprise. In a low whisper, he told the old man, "They make a pretty good argument. Don't forget how old _you_ were when we first met."

Master Fu waved him away. His mind was set and the decision was final. He would find new holders and protectors in the morning.

But a voice in his head told him he actually was making a mistake. These two have shown to be quite the team on numerous occasions. Even when they were just starting out and had to fight with an akuma invasion, they managed to save the day. They're both quick on their feet and obviously care about each other and the people around them a lot. And the power they hold is simply unfathomable.

The old man took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll give you one last chance. But this is it, you understand? One more slip up like this and you're done."

Smiles broke out across all the kids' faces. Adrien and Marinette eagerly grabbed their miraculouses and put them back on. Adrien turned the ring around his finger and sighed happily at the familiar feel. Marinette clicked her earrings back in her ears and suddenly felt complete again.

Outside, people screamed about some kid terrorizing the city. Adrien and Marinette slid off the tables and turned to each other. With a grin, they called to their kwamis and transformed.

"My best friend is a superhero!" Alya cried.

"So cool," Nino said, grinning.

Chat Noir took Ladybug's hand and smirked. "Shall we, my lady?"

Ladybug squeezed his hand. "Let's go get ourselves a butterfly."


End file.
